The Oneworld Alliance has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the inaugural airline alliance to collaborate with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on CO2 emission calculations. All 13 Oneworld member airlines have committed to contributing operational data to enhance IATA’s CO2 Connect emissions calculator. This collaboration is set to significantly improve the tool’s quality and accuracy, incorporating a substantial increase in airline-specific fuel burn data. The following oneworld member airlines are actively contributing data to IATA’s CO2 Connect: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways, Qantas, Royal Air Maroc, Royal Jordanian, and SriLankan Airlines.
Marie Owens Thomsen, IATA Senior Vice President of Sustainability and Chief Economist, expressed enthusiasm about Oneworld’s decision to join this initiative. She emphasized that travelers are increasingly seeking informed choices regarding their carbon footprint, and Oneworld’s participation underscores the industry’s commitment to providing consistency and alignment in this crucial area.
Ms. Grace Cheung, Chair of the Oneworld Environmental and Sustainability Board and General Manager of Sustainability at Cathay Pacific, highlighted Oneworld’s pride in being the first global airline alliance to support IATA’s efforts. She emphasized the collaboration’s significance in assisting key stakeholders across the aviation sector, including airlines, aircraft manufacturers, and travel management companies, to make more informed choices for travelers and enhance Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting.
IATA introduced CO2 Connect in June 2022, utilizing member airline data to provide accurate per-flight passenger CO2 emission calculations. With inputs such as fuel burn, belly cargo, load factors, and data from other sources, IATA CO2 Connect calculates emissions for 74 aircraft types, covering approximately 98% of the active global passenger fleet and considering traffic data from 881 aircraft operators, representing about 93% of global air travel.
Industry partners can access IATA CO2 Connect data calculations through an API or flat file, as well as through airline sales channels and travel management companies. In response to traveler expectations, IATA CO2 Connect is evolving to include new features, such as a corporate reporting solution for accurate business travel CO2 emissions reporting, and plans to introduce CO2 compensation solutions in the coming year. Additionally, a Cargo calculator will be launched in 2024, addressing demands from shippers and freight forwarders for accurate CO2 emissions data derived from actual airline data.
IATA CO2 Connect adheres to the Passenger CO2 Calculation Methodology (RP 1726), adopted in March 2022, with support from leading partners from 20 airlines and major aircraft manufacturers. The methodology includes considerations such as fuel measurement aligned with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA), clear scope definitions for CO2 emissions related to flying activities, guidance on non-CO2 related emissions, and factors like cabin class weighting, passenger weight, emissions factors, and guidance on carbon offsets and sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in CO2 calculations.
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